Ferenginar was an inhabited planet in the Ferenginar system of the Alpha Quadrant. This was the homeworld of the Ferengi, a warp-capable humanoid species, and the capital planet of the Ferengi Alliance. The planet was known for having nearly constant, planet-wide torrential rains, rotting vegetation, and rivers of muck.
Location[]
Ferenginar was surrounded by star systems, including Clarus and Irtok. (DS9: "Profit and Lace") Ferenginar was located approximately fifty-five light years from Cardassia Prime and Starbase 375, and sixty light years from Bajor. In 2375, the location of Ferenginar was labeled on a tactical cartography map that was displayed in the wardroom of Deep Space 9. (DS9: "When It Rains..."), okudagram)
In 3191, this planet's location was labeled on a star chart. Accompanied by a star, the label identified the planet as a homeworld. (DIS: "Red Directive")
Later that year, the position of Ferenginar was labeled on a Federation star chart. Like other key members of the Federation, its position was denoted by a five-pointed star. (DIS: "Lagrange Point")
History[]
- See also: Ferengi history
In the mid-24th century, Ferenginar experienced rampant inflation and currency devaluation after the Great Monetary Collapse. Many accounts, including some belonging to Quark, were devastated. (DS9: "Homefront")
In 2374, after Grand Nagus Zek added an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities allowing females to wear clothes and make profit, Ferenginar was plunged into financial chaos, and a communications blackout was imposed. (DS9: "Profit and Lace")
In 2375, Grand Nagus Zek appointed Rom as the new Grand Nagus. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")
Regarding how Ferenginar is depicted in "The Dogs of War", René Echevarria noted, "Ferenginar has changed drastically, and is becoming more and more of a 24th-century socialist state, like any Federation planet." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, pp. 81-82) However, Ferenginar wasn't portrayed as undergoing such drastic alterations in the first draft of the script. "All the stuff about Ferenginar becoming a kinder, gentler place was added later on," noted Armin Shimerman. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 695)
In 2381, Grand Nagus Rom signed an official application for Ferenginar to join the United Federation of Planets. (LD: "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place")
Landmarks[]
- Dominion War Memorial
- Ferengi Center for Forged Arts
- Ferengi Hall of Fame
- Ferenginar Historic Public Library
- Museum of Bribery
- Museum of Gambling
- Museum of Haggling
- Nagal Residence
- Sacred Marketplace
- Tower of Commerce
Destitution Rock was referenced in the first draft script of DS9: "Body Parts", but not in canon.
Appendices[]
References[]
- DS9:
- "Life Support"
- "Family Business"
- "Homefront"
- "Bar Association"
- "Body Parts"
- "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."
- "Ferengi Love Songs"
- "The Magnificent Ferengi"
- "Valiant"
- "Profit and Lace"
- "Treachery, Faith and the Great River"
- "The Dogs of War"
- "When It Rains..." (Tactical Map 4364W)
- VOY: "False Profits"
- PIC: "Stardust City Rag"
- LD: "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place"
Background information[]
In DS9 Season 3 installment "Family Business", the Ferengi homeworld first received its name. "fer-ENG-ih-nar" was the pronunciation for this planet's name from the script pronunciation guide for fourth season episode "Bar Association". [1]
While writing "Family Business", Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe had a lot of fun with devising details about Ferenginar, for viewers' initial glimpse of the planet. Thinking about Ferengi anatomy, Wolfe decided the planet should have "a moist climate." The writers also wanted to differentiate Ferenginar from other major homeworlds in Star Trek, which commonly had "hot and dry" environments, related Wolfe. Seeing as rain hadn't been depicted much on alien planets, the writers chose to give Ferenginar a virtually permanent rainy climate. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 241)
A scene description from the script for "Family Business" stated, "Ferenginar, the homeworld of the Ferengi, is a fetid dismal swamp, subject to a near-endless downpour." [2]
Following the debut appearance of Ferenginar in "Family Business", Ira Behr remarked, "It was an interesting look at the Ferengi homeworld [....] I'm not sure we'll be going back to the Ferengi homeworld." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 97)
In ultimately excised dialogue from the first draft script of DS9 Season 4 outing "Body Parts", Garak commented about Ferenginar, "I must admit it's a magnificent city... I quite enjoyed my time there." This would probably imply either that Ferenginar had only one city or that the planet's capital city was at one point intended to have the same name as the planet.
Creating the sets to represent Ferenginar in DS9 Season 5's "Ferengi Love Songs" was fairly easy, with the Grand Nagus' Chamber of Petitioners in the Tower of Commerce being the only new set. Because Ishka's house had been established in "Family Business", DS9's art department had to merely assemble and redress that set, so that it could reappear in "Ferengi Love Songs". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 445)
The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual (p. 3) depicts Ferenginar in the Bajor sector. [3]
According to Star Trek: Star Charts (pp. 35 & 36) and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385"), Ferenginar was an M-class planet located in the Ferenginar star system. The capital of this world, and of the Ferengi Alliance, was Ferenginar. In 2378, there were 78.2 billion Ferengi living on this world. The Ferengi have been warp-capable since antiquity. Major points of interest were the Sacred Marketplace and Tower of Commerce.
The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 269 classified Ferenginar as a class M planet.
Apocrypha[]
According to The Worlds of the Federation, the Ferengi homeworld was called Ferengal.
According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Narrator's Toolkit, Ferenginar was the fourth planet in the Ventarus Idrilon system.
According to the RPG sourcebook Worlds, Ferenginar was the fifth planet in the Alpha Krellek system.
External link[]
- Ferenginar at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works